Am i going bald?

[cryodon1]

Hey, I'm 21 years old and noticed my crown was quite thin. It's making me panic and I have no clue what to do.

 

Additional info:

 

I'm half Caucasian/Chinese

None of my family suffer from baldness

I suffer from dry scalp

No receding hairline

Pictures were taken in a well lit area

I suffer from OCD

 

Edited May 18, 2013 by cryodon1

[makem32]

Yes you definately have thining in the crown I am sad to say.

[cryodon1]

Yes you definately have thining in the crown I am sad to say.

 

Could it be my haircut?

 

I have really thick Asian hair and when I get my haircut, they usually thin my hair a lot.

[cryodon1]

I also have very straight hair and my hairs on my crown area usually stick up a tiny bit.

[GreatPelo]

Starting to thin. Get on therapy...Propecia preferably.

[cryodon1]

How is my hairline?

 

[Levrais]

That's a solid hairline. As for the crown, I cannot say from the pics if its thinning or just a normal whorl. Now that you have those pics, you could take pics again at 6 months under the same conditions (lighting etc). Then see if there is any change. It doesn't look bad to me and since you don't have baldness in the family Im not sure I would do anything at this point other than keep an eye on it. If it does end up that you have thinning in the crown, there are proven treatments available.

[cryodon1]

That's a solid hairline. As for the crown, I cannot say from the pics if its thinning or just a normal whorl. Now that you have those pics, you could take pics again at 6 months under the same conditions (lighting etc). Then see if there is any change. It doesn't look bad to me and since you don't have baldness in the family Im not sure I would do anything at this point other than keep an eye on it. If it does end up that you have thinning in the crown, there are proven treatments available.

 

Cheers for the response

 

I heard east Asians normally have a more noticeable whorl? Is this true, or is it just a myth.

[1978matt]

I think you're in good shape.

 

Asians tend to have lower density and straight hair and therefore can look a bit 'scalpy' if you know what I mean. The crown looks like natural whorl.

 

I'd just keep your eye on it every 6-12 months and if you notice any hair going then consider getting on finasteride & minoxidil.

[KO]

Keep checking every 6 mos. If you have a strong family history, then it may be time to consider finasteride.

[Blake Bloxham]

Cryodon,

 

Frankly, I don't think you have any thinning in the vertex. Like you said, Asian hair (which is what you have) is straight and dark, and this is providing a stark contrast to your lighter scalp. What's more, I think your hairline looks great. However, keep in mind that 19-22 (or so) is the age were a lot of individuals experience hairline maturation, so don't be surprised to see some change in hairline shape while you're monitoring your hair for the next 6-12 months.

 

However, I think it is important to keep a few things in mind:

 

1. Hair loss is a progressive condition, and it is much easier to stop early and prevent, than it is to reverse at a later stage. This means that if you believe you are experiencing thinning now, your best bet is to see a hair loss expert, undergo a scalp examination, and start preventive medications like minoxidil (Rogaine) and finasteride (Propecia) if the doctor thinks it is necessary. What's more, they may very well tell you that you're fine, and just encourage you to watch it and return if you note thinning.

 

2. You don't notice hair loss until you've experienced around a 50% loss in density. This means that if you do notice loss, you should return to the doctor and start therapy asap.

 

I hope this helps! To me, your hair looks solid, but it is difficult to tell based upon online images, and a trained physician should always have the final say. Because of this, I do think visiting a hair loss doctor should be your first step.

 

Good luck!

[mattj]

I think you have some crown thinning, but it looks worse than it is due to the characteristics of Asian hair which have already been mentioned. Those characteristics shouldn't be underestimated for the difference they can make.

 

Minoxidil (Rogaine) can often do a lot for the crown so it might be worth looking into that.

[1978matt]

I was on a train earlier and as I got off the guy in front of me (asian) had the exact same crown as yours (if anything slightly worse), he had no other loss as far as I could tell. I guess he was late 20s/early 30s.

 

I think you will be fine mate.